“We stood there crying—filming with tears rolling down our cheeks,” he said.

The video also has definitely struck a nerve with those who have viewed it, prompting a steady conversation about the sensitive topic of global warming.

Experts say the half-ton bears find large quantities of seals on sea ice. They’re even used to not having food for several months during the summer while they wait for the ice to form again.

But warming temperatures and rising seas have prevented the ice from solidifying, and polar bears are staying longer on the land looking for food, often times with little success, environmentalists say.

“When scientists say bears are going extinct, I want people to realize what it looks like. Bears are going to starve to death,” Nicklen told National Geographic. “This is what a starving bear looks like.”